Habitat Improve your hunting land!

Whether you're planting your first food plot, working on forest stand improvement, or preparing for a prescribed burn, the NDA has the information you need to help you be successful. We rely on the latest research and experts in their field to bring you the most reliable, up-to-date information on managing your land for the benefit of white-tailed deer and other wildlife.

Habitat

Top 5 Map Layers for Habitat Management You’ve Probably Overlooked

Apr 23, 2025 Matt Ross

Two of the biggest limitations in managing deer habitat are a lack of knowledge and time. Not everyone has formal land management training or experience, and we all do our best to balance life’s other…

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Habitat

How to Take a Food Plot Soil Sample

Apr 2, 2025 Cheyne Matzenbacher

A soil sample test can be the difference between a quality deer food plot and a failed food plot. This simple test can save you time, energy and of course money by determining your actual…

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Deer Are King, But Deer Habitat is Great for Another Monarch

Oct 21, 2024 Kip Adams

As hunters who manage wildlife habitat, one of the biggest satisfactions we get is seeing deer and other animals using it. Well, one species that uses it and can really use our help is the…

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A Beginner’s Guide to Deer Food Plots

Aug 7, 2024 Brian Grossman

I’m not sure what it is about us hunters — or maybe just humans in general — that drives us to overcomplicate things. I see it in all aspects of life, whether it’s losing weight,…

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When to Plant Fall Food Plots, and How to Recover If They Fail

Jul 17, 2024 Mark Turner

Whether you’re in the feed store, local diner, or viewing internet forums, there’s an inevitable conversation happening right now. Starting around July every year, deer hunters begin asking the same question: when should they start…

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3 Factors in Smart Food Plot Seed Mixtures

Jul 3, 2024 Mark Turner

About this time each year, shelves at sporting goods stores begin filling with bags of food plot seeds, many with a picture of a large buck or two on the bag. Some hunters purchase these…

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Know These 7 Natural Deer Forage Species When You See Them

Jun 19, 2024 Kyle Hedges

It’s no secret deer consume a long list of plants. In fact, there have been hundreds of articles, research papers and even books written on the subject. Much of the analysis of a deer’s appetite…

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Winter Rye Food Plots Can Be a Lifesaver for Northern Deer

Jun 12, 2024 Ryan Rothstein

“Here comes another one,” my dad whispered. “That’s got to be over a dozen already, they’re coming out like ants!”  We were tucked in a box blind overlooking a food plot, hoping that a gobbler…

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Your Deer Habitat Work Supports These Struggling Wildlife Species

May 28, 2024 Kip Adams

Deer are King in the wildlife world. More hunters spend more time and money to manage habitat and hunt whitetails than any other species on the planet. Approximately 10 million deer hunters hit the woods…

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The Block System of Deer Management at Virginia’s Fraley Family Farm

May 1, 2024 Bruce Ingram

On August 9-12, the next NDA Deer Steward 2 course will be held, this time at the Fraley family farm and at the Preserve at Crooked Run in Botetourt County, Virginia. The approximately 10,000-acre contiguous…

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